[acsrp38]

The LEVEES didn't break!! The CANAL WALLS did!!!

The canals are built and maintained by the city and state levee boards, and their contractors (lots of brother in law deals)

[kingu]

The LEVEES didn't break!! The CANAL WALLS did!!!

In the southern parishes, levees certainly did. But I could have sworn I read that the levee walls were over topped on the southeastern end prior to the Industrial Canal actually breaking, as well as the levee walls north of the city being over topped west of the canal that broke. But you're correct, the federal levees around the city of New Orleans held.